Dates and games that will live in infamy for the Detroit Pistons
Game #76: Uh-oh
We will fast forward past about half the season, and gather ourselves near the near the end of it. At a glance the 76th game of the season is most memorable for the good history that the Pistons made - or at least, one Piston made. That Piston was Malachi Flynn, who became the third player in NBA history to drop a 50-spot while coming off the bench.
Yet this was also a significant game because Cade didn't play in it. Just as he didn't play in any of the seven games that followed it. Hopefully, that was a rare example of the front office using good judgment, as they chose to rest their potential superstar to prevent any kind of significant injury from happening when the only thing left to play for was draft position. Unfortunately, there is the possibility that there is something more to Cunningham's extended absence from the lineup. Remember, he also missed a handful of games in January as well, finishing with a modest 62 games on the season.
It has been reported that he is dealing with Tendinopathy in his left knee, but whatever is going on, our could-be franchise savior has never played more than 64 games in any of his three seasons, totaling a mere 138 out of a possible 246.
Game# 82: The finish line
The Spurs 123-95 victory over the Pistons in the season finale was as good a way as any to bring this shitshow to its end. Here are some fun facts from game #82.
1. Although the Spurs won by nearly 30 points, budding GOAT contender Victor Wembanyama didn’t even play.
2. Instead, a guy named Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 18 points and grabbed 8 rebounds for San Antonio.
3. Troy Brown started for the Pistons. He didn’t score a point.
4. James Wiseman was Detroit’s star player, registering a 21 point, 17 rebound stat-line. Glad he didn’t waste the effort during one of those mid-December losses.
This season, unfortunately, will live in infamy. Frustrating specifics like Monty's insistence on playing Hayes over Ivey only to cut the former immediately after the trade deadline, and Cade's propensity to turn the ball over, especially earlier in the year, will fade from memory. But the record-tying losing streak will never be forgotten. We as a fanbase will be haunted by it, other fanbases will mock us for it, and the players who lived through it will be in therapy because of it for many years to come.